Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Court Correspondent
A 28-YEAR-OLD Epworth man has appeared in court facing three charges of fraud, theft and impersonation of a public officer after allegedly stealing cash and property, then posing as a soldier and threatening his girlfriend.
Douglas Ndebele appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Appollonia Marutya, who remanded the case to Friday for possible commencement of trial.
According to the State, represented by Mrs Grace Mugocheke, Ndebele was employed as a security guard at Realtor Fitment Centre in Harare, where the first complainant, Mr Prosper Marufu, is the manager.
On July 31, Mr Marufu instructed a client, Mr Malvin Mutasa, to deliver US$3 700 to the company premises.
When Mutasa arrived, Ndebele, who was on duty, allegedly introduced himself as Kudakwashe Munetsi, a company representative, and persuaded Mutasa to hand over the cash.
Later that same day, at around 1pm, Ndebele is alleged to have stolen a Dell laptop from the company’s office. He then fled to Gutu Growth Point.
The laptop was later recovered after his arrest.
The third charge stems from an incident on August 4 at Magwidi Compound in Mupandawana Growth Point, where Ndebele allegedly impersonated a Zimbabwe National Army officer.
He reportedly showed his girlfriend, Ms Trish Tandanai, photographs of himself in military camouflage and used these to convince her he was a soldier.
The State says he then threatened to shoot her.
Tandanai alerted police, who arrested Ndebele at the scene.
Further investigations linked him to another incident on July 5, when detectives from CID Gutu received a tip-off that he was behaving violently and threatening patrons at a local beer hall while intoxicated.
Police attended the scene, arrested him, and recovered US$400.
Checks revealed that Ndebele was also wanted by Rhodesville Police Station in connection with other offences.
